The Princess Major
by pariskhevi kalodimas
Summary: Sam and Jack each receive a gift.


The Princess Major

The Princess Major

by Pariskhevi

[pariskhevik@yahoo.com][1]

© September 2001 Pariskhevi

Title:The Princess Major

Author:by Pariskhevi

Email:[pariskhevik@yahoo.com][1]

Rating:G

Archive:Just ask

Summary:Sam and Jack each receive a gift.

Spoilers:Post "Divide and Conquer"

Status:Complete
    
    Disclaimer: "All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author."

Monday, June 4, 2001

0630 hours

SGC Base – Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs, CO

The SGC base was still on nighttime lighting, to aid the staff's circadian body rhythms, when Sam Carter arrived. Her lab was completely dark when she arrived, and she only turned on the desk lamp, the computer, and her cd player as she sat down. Sam checked her phone for messages – none. Good, the day was starting out okay. A quick e-mail check revealed nothing urgent pending. Even better! She could actually grab a quick breakfast before the new mission briefing at 0800.

Standing up to leave for the commissary, Sam noticed something lying on her desk just outside the halo of light the desk lamp provided. It looked suspiciously like another birthday present. Bright blue paper with a pattern of multi-colored confetti, a bright red ribbon, and a small gift card envelope (yellow). 

Yup – had to be.

Her birthday was on May 29th, and as it fell on a Tuesday this year, it hadn't been "officially" celebrated until this past Saturday. She had received gifts from everyone she had thought – whose gift could this be from?

Reaching out, she picked the gift up, and immediately knew what it was by the size and weight of it. A video tape. Cool! Lifting the gift card envelope – very carefully so as not to tear the paper – off of the gift, she opened the envelope and withdrew the card. Opening it, she frowned as she read, several times over, the only message inside:

"As you wish"

No signature. Actually, the message had been TYPED of all things, so she could not even have the luxury of reading someone's handwriting (and attempting to "detect" whose it was). 

Curious. 

Then, she carefully opened the wrapping paper to reveal the gift. 

A videotape of "The Princess Bride". 

How – odd.

In fact, kind of weird.

One of Teal'c's birthday presents to her had been the same videotape.

And Janet (and Cassie) had given her a copy for Hanukah.

What the hell was going on?

Monday, June 4, 2001

0645 hours

SGC Base – Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs, CO

The halls were still dark. Daytime lighting didn't activate until 0700, whether it was daylight savings time or not. Colonel Jack O'Neill arrived at his office, ostensibly to finish some paperwork, but – honestly, he had to say to himself – it was so he could "stumble" onto Carter in the commissary and have breakfast with her.

This "leaving their feelings in the room" maneuver was wearing him down. He had agreed with Carter then, and he agreed with her now, that their "relationship" had to stay at the status quo due to their military ranks and working relationships. 

Now that they had acknowledged their feelings, and it had been witnessed…Jack couldn't take the chance of damaging Carter's career, her reputation, or her honor.

But he missed the easy banter they used to have between them, the open affection he would occasionally catch coming from Carter's gaze, the special smiles, and the infrequent nudges, pats, swats and light touches.

He was starting to feel…lonely again.

Aw, crap, it was probably gas. He was getting old - his feet, knees and back hurt; especially when it was cold or raining (but REALLY when it was cold AND raining); newspaper print kept getting smaller to read; he didn't have a clue why the volume on his favorite radio station, KCME, kept getting lower all the time…oh, the list was endless.

So, he stood there in the doorway to his office, trying to decide what to do…go "stumble" onto Carter in the commissary and keep the game running, or in fact attempt to do some of his paperwork before the new mission briefing at 0800.

He actually looked towards his desk.

That's when he saw it.

The gift.

Lying on top of the stack of folders on his desk.

He knew it was a gift by his amazing powers of deductive reasoning. Grandma O'Neill hadn't raised him to be completely dense. No matter how many nintendos were passing through his body right now.

Well, this was interesting.

O'Neill walked over to his desk and ripped the paper off of the gift. 

Huh.

A videotape.

"The Princess Bride".

How – odd.

That had been one of Teal'c's birthday gifts to him.

And Cassie (and Janet) had given him a copy for Christmas.

Oh – wait. It suddenly dawned on him maybe there was a gift card attached. Leaning down into the wastebasket, he retrieved the wadded up gift wrapping paper (bright blue paper with a pattern of multi-colored confetti with a bright red ribbon) and ripped off the small gift card envelope (yellow). 

Opening up the envelope, he withdrew the card and read:

"As you wish."

Typed. No name, no signature. 

No clue.

What the hell was going on?

Later that night, in their respective abodes, Major Sam Carter and Colonel Jack O'Neill placed their individual copies of "The Princess Bride" (the original one each had received – the others were still unsealed) into their VCR's, and sat back to watch the movie.

Sam watched her movie sipping on a diet coke (she preferred the taste) and eating a small bag of the chocolate-walnut cookies that Daniel loved so much that she was now hooked on.

Jack watched his movie sipping on a Coors Lite (Janet SO nagged him about that last five pounds) and eating some California Roll dipped in gyoza sauce (more zip than soy sauce in his opinion).

Both paused the movie after the scene when Buttercup realized that Wesley was really saying, "I love you" when he replied, "as you wish", to all of her commands. Which started Sam coughing on her sip of diet coke, and Jack to drop the piece of California Roll he was holding back into the gyoza sauce, which splashed onto his pants.

Wow!

Epiphany!

Tuesday, June 5, 2001

0900 hours

Conference Room

SGC Base – Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs, CO

"Carter…" started O'Neill.

"Yes, sir"

Janet leaned over to Teal'c, whispering into his ear: "Geez – they should get a room."

-30-

   [1]: mailto:pariskhevik@yahoo.com



End file.
